Predator–prey relationships are a central component of community dynamics. This lab uses dragonfly naiads to investigate their feeding efficiency on two prey species (daphnia and amphipods) under a variety of abiotic and biotic conditions. Dragonflies are hemimetabolous insects (Order: Odonata, suborder: Epiprocta; infraorder: Anisoptera) which are commonly found in shallow freshwater habitats world-wide. The dragonfly larval stage (commonly referred to as nymphs or naiads) are voracious predators on other aquatic organisms including mosquito larvae, amphipods (scuds), daphnia, small fish and tadpoles. As a result, naiads can be used as model organisms for investigating predator-prey interactions. This exercise uses dragonfly naiads to investigate their feeding efficiency on two prey species (daphnia and amphipods). Workshop participants will investigate the effect of prey density, prey species, and light intensity on the feeding efficiency of dragonfly naiads. The predator and prey species used in this lab exercise are easily obtained, easily maintained and as invertebrates do not require any special handling authorizations. This is a wet lab designed for use in introductory biology labs as well as upper-level ecology labs. In addition, this exercise has been used to introduce students to the steps required to carry out controlled experiments, teach principles of scientific writing, and the use of statistical analysis. It also introduces students to the world of invertebrates and their importance in scientific research. In addition, dragonfly naiads could be used as a model organism to investigate various aspects of behavior, physiology and parasitology.
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